Ultrasonic measurement of stress in railroad wheels

Abstract

The equipment described here generates ultrasonic shear waves using an electromagnetic-acoustic transducer. Precise measurement of the velocity of two orthogonally polarized signals determines the birefringence and allows the calculation of stress. It is necessary to account for the effect of metallurgical texture which can contribute to the birefringence and appear as moderate stress. This system sends a signal through the thickness of a railroad wheel rim, digitizes the first echo, locks onto a cycle, and calculates the time when it crosses zero amplitude. Signal averaging yields the arrival time of a signal at about 90 μs with a standard deviation of 2–4 ns. In screening the residual stress in the rims of cast-steel railroad wheels, this system has a total error of ≈±60 MPa; most of this is due to variability of the texture measured in several stress-relieved blocks cut from wheels. The initial measurements were on wheels in which the manufacture had induced known levels of thermal damage. Results from destructive radial saw cuts through the rims allowed qualitative evaluation of the nondestructive measurements. Most components in this equipment are commercially available.